• Russell takes Melbourne pole as Verstappen crashes

    Russell takes Melbourne pole as Verstappen crashes

    George Russell claimed pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen suffered a horrible start to 2026, the Dutchman crashing in the early stages. Russell beat team-mate Kimi Antonelli to pole, with Mercedes locking out the front row in Melbourne for the first time since 2019. Attention in the early…