Leclerc storms into the lead as Mercedes drivers fumble start in Australia

Sunday’s race had already descended into chaos before the lights even went out, as the home favourite crashed on the way to the grid in Melbourne.

The McLaren driver was later confirmed to be okay after his car snapped upon touching the kerb at Turn 4, heavily damaging the right-hand side of his MCL40.

Leclerc was not the only Ferrari driver to make a flying start, with Lewis Hamilton also surging into the top three after starting seventh at Albert Park.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, however, was the biggest mover on the opening lap, climbing into the top 10 from 16th on the grid.

Further down the order, several drivers gained positions on the opening lap, including Max Verstappen, who climbed up the field after starting from 20th place on the grid.