Cricket
Motorsport
Basketball test
League - Test
Combat Sports
Netball
Football
Oscar Piastri's "big uncertainty" after qualifying chaos
Emily Benammar • March 7th, 2026 8:54 pm
It was a day of surprises at Albert Park as George Russell secured pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, with local hero Oscar Piastri saying there are a huge number of unknowns when it comes to what race day might produce.
Surprise number one came in the form of Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli destroying his car in the third practice session leaving many doubting if he would make it to qualifying.
Surprise number two came in the form of Max Verstappen crashing out in Q1 and being unable to resume the session meaning the four-time world champion will start Sunday’s race from 20th on the grid.
The red flag brought about by Verstappen’s crash gifted Mercedes an extra five minutes to get Antonelli’s car somewhat back together meaning that against all odds he participated in qualifying – that was surprise number three.
Number four came in Q3 when parts of Antonelli’s car started falling off on the track only for Lando Norris to drive over them and damage his own car meaning Mercedes looks set for a mammoth fine before the lights go out on Sunday.
Somehow the Italian secured a front row lockout with Russell – the final surprise of the afternoon.
Then came the predictable chaos; Lance Stroll didn’t even get in his car – adding to Aston Martin’s dismal season so far.
Carlos Sainz also didn’t drive meaning they will start from the back of the grid.
While the experts had all tipped Mercedes to impress on the opening weekend of the 2026 season, Piastri admitted he was taken aback by their speed.
“I think with Mercedes, it was a bit of a surprise just how far ahead they are,” the Aussie said after qualifying fifth. “For us, maybe 3rd could have been on the cards, it was a bit scrappy.
"But these cars; you change something a little bit you end up with more power or less power, things don’t always go the way you expect.
“There is plenty to learn. We are roughly where we thought we would be.”
Ahead of the race, Piastri is warning fans to expect the unexpected – particularly when it comes to the start of the race.
“There’s a big uncertainty with the starts and how competitive everyone is,” he continued. “So qualifying might not be the be all and end all. We have to try and get that right.
“We have shown how fast we can turn things around but this season wont be won by who is first in the first race. There will be a lot of learning and whoever can get on top of that quickest in a long season will be the no 1 driver.”
Another person expecting chaos is F1 expert Martin Brundle who is predicting more chaos on Sunday.
"We will see everyone that finishes tomorrow’s race finish in the points," he said during qualifying. "I think only 10 cars finish this race."
Grid for AUS GP
- George Russell
- Kimi Antonelli
- Isack Hadjar
- Charles Leclerc
- Oscar Piastri
- Lando Norris
- Lewis Hamilton
- Arvid Lindblad
- Liam Lawson
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Nico Hulkenberg
- Ollie Bearman
- Esteban Ocon
- Pierre Gasly
- Alex Albon
- Franco Colapinto
- Fernando Alonso
- Sergio Perez
- Valterri Bottas
- Max Verstappen
- Carlos Sainz
- Lance Stroll
