Charles Leclerc just crushed the first practice session of the 2026 era. A 1:20.267 on mediums put him nearly half a second clear of the field. Consequently, Lewis Hamilton slotted into second for Ferrari, 0.469 behind. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen grabbed third at 0.522 off the pace. The Australian GP FP1 session delivered Ferrari dominance at the front and absolute carnage everywhere else.
Furthermore, Isack Hadjar continued his impressive pre-season form with fourth for Racing Bulls. Remarkably, rookie Arvid Lindblad stunned the paddock in fifth, 1.046 seconds back but ahead of far more experienced names. Additionally, Oscar Piastri salvaged sixth despite battling throttle problems that left him completely stranded earlier in the session. “I am idling but I have got no throttle.” Not exactly what McLaren wanted to hear.
However, three notable drivers never set a proper time. George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Nico Hulkenberg all recorded only out laps. Consequently, whether that was strategic sandbagging or genuine technical issues remains a mystery heading into FP2. Moreover, Mercedes brought significant aero upgrades to Melbourne. Therefore, hiding pace during FP1 would not be surprising from the Silver Arrows.
Meanwhile, the real disaster unfolded at Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso never turned a wheel. Furthermore, Aston Martin confirmed a suspected power unit issue kept him locked in the garage for the entire session. Additionally, Lance Stroll managed just three painful laps before parking the AMR26. Consequently, he finished 30 seconds off Leclerc. A car that already limits Alonso to 25 consecutive laps due to vibration-induced nerve damage risk could not even complete a practice session.
Similarly, McLaren’s weekend started in ugly fashion. Lando Norris reported terrible downshifts from his opening lap. “Downshifts are shocking, all shifts. Something does not feel right.” Consequently, he finished 18th, a full 4.124 seconds behind Leclerc. Furthermore, both Norris and Stroll ended the session early due to gearbox and power unit problems. Additionally, Alex Albon stopped on track with a hydraulic failure for Williams.
Despite the chaos, Ferrari looked genuinely frightening. Crucially, Leclerc’s pace on medium tyres suggested significant performance still hidden. Furthermore, Ferrari brought a targeted rear diffuser upgrade to Melbourne that appears to already be delivering. Moreover, Hamilton slotting into second confirmed the package works for both drivers. That is a dangerous sign for every rival.
Additionally, several teams arrived with major technical updates for the weekend.
- McLaren brought a new rear wing with revised mainplane and flap elements. Furthermore, a revised floor edge targets better flow around the rear tyres. However, the upgrades could not prevent their session falling apart completely.
- Meanwhile, Mercedes introduced new bodywork with greater downwashing to pull high energy flow rearward. Additionally, a new front wing features increased camber with no strake. Nevertheless, neither driver set a proper lap time to validate the changes.
- Similarly, Williams updated their floor with a new winglet ahead of the rear tyres. However, Albon’s hydraulic failure cut their running short before meaningful data could be gathered.
- Moreover, Racing Bulls brought a revised floor, engine cover and rear winglets. Consequently, Hadjar’s fourth place suggests the upgrades are working immediately.
- Furthermore, Cadillac brought their first upgrades including a new front wing and revised rear wing. However, Sergio Perez finished 19th reporting heavy engine braking. “I am having a lot of engine braking. I had a massive one there.” Meanwhile, Bottas finished 20th, 4.4 seconds adrift. Cadillac’s Bahrain testing struggles clearly followed the team to Melbourne.
Consequently, Carlos Sainz finished 12th for Williams, 2 seconds off the pace. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly struggled to 17th in the Alpine. Furthermore, Cadillac’s debut Australian GP FP1 session confirmed the American team still sits firmly at the bottom despite their Melbourne upgrades.
Ultimately, the Australian GP FP1 shattered any illusion that pre-season testing told the full story. Ferrari seized control. Verstappen lurks close enough to strike. Three drivers never even set a time. Moreover, half the grid spent more time in the garage than on the track. The 2026 era started exactly how everyone feared. Beautiful, broken and completely unpredictable.
