Mercedes posted the fastest long‑run pace in Melbourne’s first 2026 practice, but early‑session hiccups and new energy‑saving rules mean qualifying will be a chaotic scramble. Midfield surprises and battery woes at Aston Martin and Cadillac add extra intrigue ahead of Sunday’s race.
Charles Leclerc says Mercedes' long-run pace looked "very impressive" in Australian GP practice, confirming their status as early title favorites. While Ferrari showed speed, Leclerc acknowledged being on the back foot, as rivals like McLaren and Red Bull faced their own issues on the first day of running.
Adrian Newey says Fernando Alonso is in a 'hard mental place' as Aston Martin's Honda partnership is plagued by severe issues. Engine vibrations pose a risk of permanent nerve damage to drivers, forcing strict lap limits and hampering the team's already difficult development year.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar grappled with consistency issues in Australian GP practice, as Max Verstappen stated the team has significant work to do to optimize their new car. While reliability was positive, both drivers highlighted the challenge of adapting to the 2026-spec machinery's behavior, setting up a crucial night of analysis before qualifying.
Honda has seen a reduction in the severe battery vibrations affecting Aston Martin's 2026 car after implementing initial fixes during Australian GP practice. While a positive step, the team's weekend remains hampered by a critical shortage of spare battery units and separate power unit issues that limited crucial track time for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Aston Martin is in a race-against-time crisis at the Australian GP, operating with only two working F1 battery units for both cars after failures left them with zero spares. Technical chief Adrian Newey called the situation "scary," as severe vibrations and faults have limited practice running and threaten to end a car's weekend if another battery fails.
Aston Martin's 2026 season is in crisis at the Australian GP, with no spare batteries for its new Honda engine and drivers limited to just 25 race laps due to vibration issues. The team's high-stakes works partnership has begun disastrously, leaving Fernando Alonso uncompetitive and highlighting deep-seated problems in the new alliance.
Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar says his car’s reliability is good but he struggled to find consistent lap times in FP2 at Albert Park, highlighting the challenges of adapting to the 2026 hybrid rules.
The 2026 F1 season kicked off with Friday practice at the Australian Grand Prix, providing the first on-track action and early storylines from Melbourne's Albert Park circuit as teams began their crucial weekend setup work.
Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets for McLaren in second practice at his home Australian Grand Prix, narrowly beating the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The session was marked by struggles for Red Bull's Max Verstappen and incidents for several drivers, hinting at a competitive and unpredictable weekend ahead.
Oscar Piastri led a tight second practice for McLaren at his home Australian Grand Prix, with Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli stunning by going second fastest. The session hinted at a reshuffle under the new 2026 rules, with Ferrari solid but Red Bull surprisingly off the pace and Aston Martin struggling dramatically.
Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in second practice at his home Australian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Russell's session, however, was complicated by a pit-lane collision and a practice start infringement, both under investigation by the stewards. Max Verstappen was sixth, while Ferrari's pace appeared to drop off from the morning session.
