The final F1 starting grid for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix has now been officially confirmed by the FIA at Albert Park Circuit. <\/p>\n
\nAfter a pre-season that depicted Mercedes as the ones to watch, George Russell showed off the true pace of the Silver Arrows when he stormed to pole position<\/a>, followed shortly after by team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
<\/p>\n \nAs a result of their stunning first qualifying of 2026, Toto Wolff’s F1 driver duo are set to lock out the front row on Sunday.
<\/p>\n Article continues under video<\/p>\n \nMeanwhile, some of the sport’s biggest players of the previous regulations cycle weren’t in the mix, with reigning champion Lando Norris<\/a> set to line up sixth for Sunday’s main event, as the McLaren star’s title defence campaign gets off to a rather lacklustre start.
<\/p>\n \nLikewise, four-time champion Max Verstappen<\/a> is expected to start at the back of the pack in 20th having crashed out of Q1<\/a> after suffering an issue with the rear axle on his new RB22, while his new team-mate Isack Hadjar will line up on the second row.
<\/p>\n \nWhere Aston Martin is concerned, both their drivers will be starting the race despite Lance Stroll failing to set a time in qualifying, although it is still looking seriously unlikely that either AMR26 will make it through the full grand prix<\/a> distance.
<\/p>\n \nHere is the official final starting grid for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, now confirmed by the FIA!
<\/p>\n \nF1 HEADLINES: Newey reveals the shocking truth as FIA announce last-minute U-turn<\/a>
<\/p>\n F1 Starting Grid – Australian Grand Prix<\/p>\n \n*Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri was set to start alongside him at his home race but suffered heartbreak before the formation lap had even taken place on Sunday, crashing on his way out of Turn 4<\/a> after catching the kerb in an incident that Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson described as: “A combination of mechanical and driver error.”
<\/p>\n F1 Race times – Australian Grand Prix<\/p>\n \nLights out in Melbourne is today (Sunday, March 8, 2026), at 3pm local time (AEDT) at Albert Park Circuit.
<\/p>\n \nFind the race start time converted to your local time zone below:
<\/p>\n Australian Grand Prix 2026 Session Times Race – Sunday, March 8, 2026 LocationTime Local time (AEDT)15:00 Sunday Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)04:00 Sunday Central European Time (CET)05:00 Sunday United States (ET)23:00 Saturday United States (CT)22:00 SaturdayUnited States (PT)20:00 Saturday Brazil (BRT)01:00 Sunday Australia (AWST)12:00 Sunday Australia (ACT)14:30 Sunday Mexico (CST)22:00 Saturday Japan (JST)13:00 Sunday South Africa (SAST)06:00 Sunday Egypt (EET)06:00 Sunday China (CST)12:00 Sunday India (IST)09:30 Sunday Singapore (SGT)12:00 Sunday Turkey (TRT)07:00 Sunday United Arab Emirates (GST)08:00 SundaySaudi Arabia (AST)07:00 Sunday \nBroadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for some major countries:
<\/p>\n Where to watch: F1 2026 broadcasters by region \n* F1 fans in Australia can watch a FREE live stream of every session at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix thanks to coverage on Network Ten.
<\/p>\n \n* F1 fans in the US can access a 7-day free trial to the coverage on Apple TV, which now has rights instead of ESPN from 2026 onwards.
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\nHow to watch the 2026 Australian Grand Prix live on TV today<\/p>\n
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\n Region\/Country
\n Broadcaster(s)
\n
\n United KingdomSky Sports
\n United StatesApple TV
\n ItalySky Italia
\n NetherlandsViaplay, Viaplay Xtra
\n JapanFuji TV, DAZN
\n *AustraliaFox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
\n SpainDAZN
\n CanadaRDS, TSN
\n GermanySky Deutschland, RTL
\n FranceCanal+
\n BelgiumRTBF, Telenet
\n LuxembourgRTL Lux, Sky DE
\n MexicoFox Sports Mexico
\n SingaporebeIN SPORTS
\n HungaryM4 Sport
\n BrazilBandeirantes
\n AustriaServus TV, ORF
\n Middle East & TurkeybeIN SPORTS
\n AfricaSuperSport
\n Latin AmericaESPN
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