Mercedes magic and fast-starting Ferraris – What To Watch For in the season opener in Australia

Chris Medland picks out five key things to keep an eye on when the lights go out for the season opener at Albert Park in Melbourne.

Mar 07, 2026 10:11am UTC

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 07: Pole position qualifier George Russell of Great Britain and

From Mercedes drivers fighting from the front row to balancing first lap aggressiveness, and from Max Verstappen charging up from the back to reliability challenges, here are five things to look out for as we get a new era of racing underway in Melbourne…

1. A Silver Arrows battle

A year ago it was McLaren who were eyeing a season-long battle between their drivers for the championship, with both starting on the front row in Melbourne. Could that now be the case for Mercedes after George Russell beat Kimi Antonelli to pole position?