The opening race weekend of the Formula One season always delivers the first real clues about the competitive order, and the 2026 Australian Grand Prix practice results offered exactly that. Across three practice sessions at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit, several teams showed promising pace as the grid prepared for the first qualifying session of the year.
Friday began with a strong statement from Ferrari as Charles Leclerc topped the opening practice session ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Later in the day, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri electrified the home crowd by leading the timesheets in FP2. By Saturday morning’s FP3, the competitive picture had tightened even further, with teams pushing harder in preparation for qualifying.
FP1: Ferrari Leads the Way in the Season’s First Session
The first on-track action of the new season saw Ferrari immediately demonstrate strong pace. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the opening practice session, leading a Ferrari one-two as Lewis Hamilton finished second during his first official race weekend outing for the team.
Key FP1 Results
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
Leclerc’s lap time placed Ferrari comfortably at the top of the early leaderboard while teams continued to test different setup configurations.
FP2: Oscar Piastri Excites the Melbourne Crowd
While Ferrari dominated the opening session, the second practice run dramatically shifted the competitive order. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri produced an impressive lap to finish fastest in FP2, giving Australian fans a moment to celebrate during the opening day of the weekend.
Top FP2 Results
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
Mercedes also looked particularly competitive during the session, with rookie Kimi Antonelli finishing second.
FP3: Final Practice Tightens the Competitive Picture
The final practice session before qualifying provided the clearest indication yet of how the teams compared on outright pace. By Saturday morning, teams had completed most of their data gathering and began running qualifying simulations.
Several drivers traded fastest laps throughout the session as the competitive picture continued to evolve ahead of qualifying.
Key Takeaways From the Melbourne Practice Sessions
Ferrari Shows Strong Early Pace
Ferrari’s one-two finish in FP1 suggested the team has built a competitive car for the start of the season.
McLaren Emerges as a Contender
Oscar Piastri’s FP2 lap demonstrated McLaren’s potential to challenge near the front.
Mercedes Displays Encouraging Speed
Mercedes placed both drivers near the top of the timesheets in FP2.
Red Bull Remains a Threat
Despite not topping a session, Red Bull remained consistently close to the leaders.
Read more: 2026 Australian Grand Prix Practice Results: Leclerc, Piastri and Verstappen Share the Spotlight
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