Red Bull Drivers Deliver: Verstappen Salvages Points, Lindblad Impresses in Australia GP

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

The 2026 Formula 1 season opened at Albert Park with drama, resilience, and fresh talent making headlines. For Oracle Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen turned a nightmare qualifying into a fighting sixth-place finish, while rookie Arvid Lindblad delivered a dream debut for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, scoring points in eighth.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 leads Liam Lawson of New Zealand driving the (30) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford and Arvid Lindblad of Great Britain driving the (41) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images)

Verstappen’s charge from the back

After crashing out in Q1 without setting a lap time, Verstappen lined up dead last on the grid. But the four-time world champion showed why he’s still the benchmark—scything through the field with decisive overtakes to finish sixth.

Max Verstappen: “The first laps were hectic, we just needed to stay out of trouble. I had some issues at the start with the battery, so as soon as the clutch was dropped, I had no power. We then got cleanly through the field, did some decent overtakes, but tire graining on the Hard compound compromised our stints.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 06: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing poses for a photo prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 06, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Still, it was a decent comeback from P20 and we’ll work as a team to close the gap further.”

Heartbreak for Hadjar

Verstappen’s new teammate Isack Hadjar had looked set for a breakthrough weekend after qualifying third. But a mechanical issue ended his race after just 10 laps.

Isack Hadjar: “Today was frustrating. I was confident we could challenge for the podium, but the issue came up straight away. The car was making a funny sound, I knew we weren’t going to make it to the end.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford leads Arvid Lindblad of Great Britain driving the (41) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

It’s frustrating, but these things can happen—we quickly move on to China.”

Lindblad’s dream debut

For Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, the spotlight belonged to 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad. Starting ninth, the British-Swedish rookie drove with maturity beyond his years, finishing eighth and scoring his first Formula 1 points.

Arvid Lindblad: “Coming to the grid, I had a lower battery level so the start was stressful, but our recovery was good and the pace was strong. That enabled us to fight back to the Ferraris and ultimately secure points. We’ve learned a lot about the car and I’m excited to see what we can do in Shanghai.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Arvid Lindblad of Great Britain and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

Teammate Liam Lawson, meanwhile, couldn’t convert his eighth-place qualifying into points, finishing 13th.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Liam Lawson of New Zealand driving the (30) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

Laurent Mekies, CEO & Team Principal: “This has been a very important weekend—the first race of a new era for Formula One. Some retirements were inevitable, and it’s unfortunate that one of those was Isack. But Max showed his class, going from 20th to sixth, and Arvid impressed with points on debut. We acquired a lot of data this weekend that we’ll put to good use in China. This was a development and learning race, and we know we can count on everyone back in Milton Keynes to push us to the next level.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 08: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford makes a pitstop during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images)

Melbourne was a reminder of Formula 1’s unpredictability: Verstappen’s grit salvaging points, Hadjar’s heartbreak, and Lindblad’s breakthrough debut. With Mercedes setting the pace, Red Bull’s focus now shifts to Shanghai—where the fight to close the gap begins.

In the Philippines, beIN SPORTS PH brought the Melbourne drama to life with an official watch party at Monza Barcade, Pasig. Hundreds of fans gathered to cheer every overtake and celebrate International Women’s Day with a special simulator challenge, proving that Formula 1 passion runs just as deep locally as it does on the global stage.

Thanks to beIN SPORTS PH, every lap, every comeback, and every debut moment will be experienced together—live, in HD, and with the energy of a united community.