Red Bull settle for points but no podium in F1 2026 season opening Australian Grand Prix

Red Bull began the 2026 season with points but no podiums or other prizes, with Max Verstappen 6th in the Australian Grand Prix and Isack Hadjar failing to finish.

Verstappen was able to get back into the points after starting 20th following a crash in qualifying, though he was unable to close in on the Mercedes and Ferrari cars out front, and also ended up stuck behind 5th place Lando Norris.

Hadjar was unable to complete the race, meanwhile, with the Frenchman’s engine failing after 10 laps and the Red Bull debutant forced to pull out of the event.

The Australian Grand Prix represented something of a leap into the unknown, with the 2026 season being F1’s first of a new campaign with major rule and regulation changes thanks to the introduction of new engines and car designs.

Red Bull were participating for the first time with their new Red Bull Power Trains unit supplying both the senior team and the Racing Bulls junior operation. 3 of the 4 cars powered by the organisation’s Milton Keynes-based power unit maker did qualify in the top 10, with the exception being the surprise of Verstappen after the Dutchman crashed in qualifying before setting a lap time.

On race day in Melbourne, Hadjar had a competitive start, overtaking the slow starting Andrea Kimi Antonelli but losing out to Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Arvid Lindblad to end the opening lap 5th.

Verstappen would make a bright start off the line, passing several cars and this continued for the opening phase of the Grand Prix, with the 4-time world champion getting into the top ten by lap 7.

Hadjar’s race would soon be done, however. Having got back to 4th, the Frenchman had concerns about the car engine but it proved race ending on lap 10 when his Red Bull car ground to a halt and his Australian Grand Prix was over.

Verstappen chose not to pit during the consequent virtual safety car, having started on hard tyres, but he would then choose to pit on lap 19 when Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac broke down, triggering a second virtual safety car.

Shortly after racing resumed, Verstappen would get past debutant Lindblad in the Racing Bulls, but he was unable to get past Lando Norris in the McLaren before or after the two made their second pit stops later in the race, and the Dutchman ultimately had to settle for points rather than the big prizes.

F1 is due to go again next weekend, with the sport heading to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.