The first grand prix of the Formula 1 season has arrived, with 11 teams and 22 drivers poised to battle in Melbourne.
The first of 24 scheduled grand prix will be held at Albert Park, with Oscar Piastri trying to become the first Australian since 1980 to win the race.
But the Mercedes team produced a dominant performance in qualifying, and are in a prime position to claim victory in Melbourne.
Here is what you need to know ahead of the F1 Australian Grand Prix.
What time is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?
The Australian Grand Prix in on this afternoon, Sunday, March 8, at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.
It will be the first race of the 2026 F1 championship.
Here is when the grand prix will begin in each Australian state and territory.
3pm AEDT: Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania2:30pm ACDT: South Australia2pm: AEST: Queensland1.30pm ACST: Northern Territory12pm: AWST: Western AustraliaHow can I watch the Australian Grand Prix?
The F1 Australian Grand Prix can be watched on commercial and pay television, as well as streaming platforms.
Network 10 is the free-to-air broadcaster, with the race being shown on Channel 10 and streamed on 10 Play.
Pay television provider Foxtel will also broadcast the Australian Grand Prix on Fox Sports channel 507. You can also stream online via Foxtel Go or on Kayo.
ABC Sport will be publishing a live blog of the Australian Grand Prix from 10am AEDT.
What position is Oscar Piastri starting from?
Australia’s Oscar Piastri will start the Australian Grand Prix from fifth.
The McLaren driver was consistently near the top of the time sheets during Saturday’s qualifying session. He starts alongside his teammate Lando Norris, who was sixth fastest.
Mercedes flex muscle as Russell claims pole, Piastri qualifies fifth
But no driver was a match for Mercedes ace George Russell.
The Briton was a class above the field, posting a brilliant lap time of 1 minute 18.51 seconds, which was almost three-tenths quicker than his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who was second.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was third fastest, more than seven-tenths adrift of Russell’s time, emphasising the dominance Mercedes enjoyed on Saturday.
“We knew there was a lot of potential in the car,” Russell said.
“Really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well, as the team did an amazing job in the garage today.
Starting grid for the 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix, following qualifying on Saturday. (F1)
What do I need to know about the F1 circuit in Melbourne?
The grand prix circuit around Albert Park is one of the fastest on the F1 calendar.
The Albert Park circuit used for the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. (F1)
The Albert Park circuit is 5.278km in length and has 14 corners, with a challenging mix of slow and fast turns.
There are five designated sections of track where drivers will be allowed to open their rear wing, and flatten the front wing, to achieve less drag.
Historically, turns 1 and 3 have been the best spot of overtaking.
The combination of turns 9 and 10 are very challenging for drivers, needing to slow the car enough to make the corner, but maintain enough speed for the next straight.
There is no DRS in 2026, with Overtake Mode becoming the primary weapon for drivers to attack. If a driver is within a second of the car ahead at the detection point between turns 13 and 14, they will be allowed to use Overtake Mode on the following lap.
What is new to F1 in 2026?
Formula 1 has gone through an overhaul for the 2026 season.
New chassis and engine regulations usher in a new era for F1, with the cars completely different to the ones used in 2025.
The front and rear wings on the cars will change throughout the lap, depending on whether the driver is going through corners, or speeding down the straight.
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When a driver is on a long straight, they will be able to open the rear wing of their car and flatten out the front wings to reduce drag.
The reduction in drag will allow the car to achieve higher speeds.
While most teams have gone for the conventional rear wing that opens like a mailbox, Ferrari has designed a rear wing that rotates upside down.
Meanwhile, the engine remains a 1.6 litre V6 turbo, but it will produce a lot more electrical power than before, potentially three times as much.
These new engines are expected to get roughly 50 per cent of their power from the electrical system, compared to the previous engines, where about 20 per cent of power was electrical.
You can read more about what is new in F1 for the 2026 season by tapping this link.
Fast facts about the Australian Grand PrixFirst grand prix at Albert Park: 1996Australian Grand Prix distance: 58 laps, 306.124kmWinner in 2025: Lando NorrisLast Australian winner: Alan Jones, 1980 (in the era before the race was part of the Formula 1 championship)Race lap record: 1:19.813 Charles Leclerc (2024)