Russell, Antonelli lead Mercedes in one-two qualifying positions for F1's Australian GP

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Mercedes has revealed its dominant hand during qualifying for Sunday’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

George Russell earned his ninth-career pole position Saturday ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli for the team's 83rd front-row lockout and its first since the 2024 British Grand Prix.

Russell topped all three sessions in F1’s knockout qualifying format, finally casting aside questions of where Mercedes team was in the new-era pecking order. His pole time, at 1 minute, 18.518 seconds, was almost eight-tenths faster than the nearest non-Mercedes challenger, Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar, who completed the top three.

“It was a great day, we knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until we get to this first Saturday of the season, you never know,” Russell said. “But it really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temperatures cooled, we know we tend to favor those conditions.”

Antonelli was relieved to have made it onto the front row alongside his teammate after a crash in final practice at the exit of turn two meant it was a race in the Mercedes garage to get him out for qualifying.

“It’s been a very stressful day. Unfortunately, I went into the wall (in FP3)," he said. “But the guys (in the garage) were the heroes today to put the car back on track.”

Hadjar was impressive by qualifying third on debut for Red Bull, his highest-ever grid position.

"The only thing I can do is take them at the start, but they’re just too fast at the moment,” Hadjar said of Mercedes. “I want to keep my position and a second podium would be cool.”

Ferrari showed it’s neck-and-neck with McLaren on pace, with just one and a half tenths seconds covering the four drivers just beyond the top-three — with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in fifth and sixth respectively, and Lewis Hamilton in seventh.

Racing Bulls showed they’ve taken a step forward over the winter, with New Zealander Liam Lawson eighth ahead of his highly-rated rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad.

The big surprise of the session came from four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen, who triggered red flags at Melbourne’s Albert Park after he lost control of his Red Bull car in braking for turn one in the first half of Q1 and ended in the barriers.

The Dutchman, who was unhurt from the crash, though upset that his brakes locked up, will now start from the back of the grid.

F1 heads into a new era this year, with unprecedented changes across the chassis (car) and power unit, which now feature an almost 50:50 output split between the turbo 1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy harvested from the brakes, one that requires a new, often counterintuitive driving style from the drivers.

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Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil steers his car during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar of France speaks at a press conference following his third placed finish in the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy walks down pit lane with teammates following the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain walks down pit lane after winning the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Gulf countries say they have intercepted more ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes.

Saudi Arabia said early Saturday it stopped four drones attacking the country’s massive Shaybah oil field, the second attack within hours. In Dubai, people heard several blasts in the morning, with Emirati authorities saying there had been “a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception.”

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes hammered Beirut and Tehran. Death toll continued to rise Saturday with at least 1,230 people killed in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials. Six U.S. troops were reported killed.

In the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war, two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence said Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region.

The war continued to intensify, with no end in sight. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender.”

Here is the latest:

The Dubai Media Office issued a statement on behalf of the city-state, saying: “For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended.”

It did not give a reason for the suspension, which came after passengers there heard a loud boom while sheltering.

Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s three-man leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces over the attacks.

“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” the president said. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

Passengers at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, heard a boom while sheltering in train tunnels at the massive facility.

Emirates has been trying to get its sprawling travel network up and running after several days of halting flights due to the war.

Iran’s president said Saturday that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

He also apologized for Iran’s attacks on regional countries, insisting that Tehran would halt them and suggesting miscommunication in the ranks caused it. However, his statement aired after repeated attacks Saturday morning on Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan cited a surge in global oil prices due to the war in the Middle East.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the 55-rupee-per-liter (about $0.20) increase overnight, saying the government had little choice but to pass on the impact of rising international prices.

Pakistan relies heavily on imported oil, mainly from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

The Israeli military said the Imam Hussein University in Tehran was used for the training of Revolutionary Guard officers and contained “multiple military assets” used by the Revolutionary Guard.

It said over 80 fighter jets participated in the latest wave of strikes on Saturday, which also targeted an underground compound used for storing ballistic missiles and housing command centers from where the army said “senior officials of the Iranian regime” were operating.

Targets also included launch sites in central and western Iran, the army said.

Explosions echoed across Iran’s capital, Tehran, Saturday morning as new airstrikes hit the city.

The strikes appeared to target downtown Tehran and government buildings there.

Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, found themselves ushered down into train tunnels at the sprawling airfield after missile alert sounded.

Mobile phone alerts sounded Saturday morning in Dubai over “potential missile threats.” Emirati authorities urged the public to seek immediate shelter.

Emirati air defenses had activated over the missile threat, the government added.

Trump berated a reporter for raising the matter when the president opened the floor to questions from the media at the end of a White House meeting about how paying student-athletes has recalibrated college sports.

“I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very nice to me,” Trump said to Peter Doocy, the Fox News reporter. “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”

People headed to bomb shelters across Israel early Saturday after hearing loud booms as Iranian missiles attacked more targets.

There were no immediate reports of casualties by Israel’s emergency services.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)