Australian GP: Oscar Piastri tops Practice One for McLaren as Mercedes and Ferrari also show strong pace in Melbourne McLaren's Oscar Piastri set the fastest time of Friday's two practice sessions at the Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix, outpacing Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Piastri finished second practice two tenths ahead of Antonelli, with Russell a tenth further back in third. Mercedes also impressed with their longer runs toward the end of the session, despite Russell and Antonelli finishing more than a second behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the first session. Leclerc, who led the first practice session by almost half a second, failed to improve his time in the second session, finishing fifth. This suggested Ferrari struggled to maximize their potential in late afternoon conditions. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished fourth, three tenths behind Piastri, and was the only driver to complete both sessions in the top four. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, faced challenges in the second session after a technical glitch forced him into the garage for nearly half the session. The Dutchman also avoided a barrier at high-speed Turn 10 after running into the gravel, though his car sustained significant damage. Reigning world champion Lando Norris of McLaren finished seventh after a clutch issue limited his running in the first session, though he managed uninterrupted track time in the second. Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls finished fifth overall, ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who was sixth. George Russell of Mercedes and Antonelli of Mercedes followed closely, with Russell just 0.04 seconds behind Antonelli. Other notable performances included Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg of Audi, Esteban Ocon of Haas, and Carlos Sainz of Williams.#charles_leclerc #ferrari #mclaren #oscar_piastri #mercedes
2026 Australian Grand Prix FP1 Report: Charles Leclerc Leads Practice Session The first practice session of the 2026 Formula 1 season unfolded at the Albert Park Circuit in Australia, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc emerging as the fastest driver ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The session marked the debut of the new technical regulations and the return of several teams to the grid, including Cadillac’s first participation in F1. Leclerc set the pace early, posting a time of 1m 20.267s, narrowly edging out Hamilton, who finished 0.469 seconds slower. Verstappen followed in third, with a gap of 0.522 seconds, while Isack Hadjar, making his debut as a full-time Red Bull driver, placed fourth. Arvid Lindblad, representing Racing Bulls, ended the session in fifth, though his performance was affected by an earlier incident in the pit lane. The session was marred by several incidents, including a brief yellow flag after Oscar Piastri’s McLaren suffered a power issue, forcing him to return to the garage. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed following Arvid Lindblad’s stoppage at the pit lane exit, and later, Alex Albon’s Williams came to a halt at Turn 10, prompting another safety car. Sergio Perez of Cadillac also spun off the track, citing engine braking problems. Throughout the session, teams experimented with tire strategies, with George Russell of Mercedes becoming the first to run on the soft compound, securing fifth place. Lando Norris of McLaren, however, had to withdraw early due to gearbox issues, leaving his team to conduct precautionary checks. Meanwhile, Piastri managed to complete more laps after his initial setback, while Hadjar reported a significant lock-up that sent him off the track.#charles_leclerc #albert_park_circuit #ferrari #red_bull #mclaren
