What a way to start! Mercedes sets the pace
The Australian Grand Prix was a spectacle. George Russell took the victory, but the real winner was the team. Mercedes achieved its first 1-2 since Las Vegas 2024, with Kimi Antonelli completing a dream weekend for the silver team.
“We knew it was going to be challenging,” Russell admitted after getting out of the car. “I got to the grid, saw my battery level and I had nothing in the tank. I had a bad start… but thanks to the whole team”
And boy did the team do their job. The key was in the pits.
The master move under the yellow flag
The race seemed to be Ferrari’s thing at the start. Charles Leclerc, with a brilliant start, took the lead in the first corner, taking advantage of the fact that the two Mercedes started slowly.
But everything changed on lap 12. A virtual safety car by Isack Hadjar’s stopped Red Bull turned the board upside down. Mercedes reacted instantly, calling its two drivers to the pits for a quick tire change.
Ferrari did not follow the play. Leclerc stayed rolling on the track, and when he finally stopped, it was already too late. The advantage was gone.
The Monegasque finished third, visibly frustrated for letting a victory he had in hand slip away. His teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth.
For the locals, disappointment came before it even began. Oscar Piastri crashed his McLaren on the way to the starting grid, missing out on his home grand prix before the green lights.
In the end, Sunday was about celebrating in Brackley. Not only for the victory, but to show that when it comes to strategy and teamwork, Mercedes is still a lethal rival. The season just got very interesting.
