Leclerc Leads Ferrari One-Two as Hamilton Shines in Opening Australian GP Practice
Charles Leclerc delivered an impressive performance to lead a Ferrari one-two in the opening practice session of the Australian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and reigning champion Max Verstappen as the 2026 Formula 1 season officially got underway in Melbourne.
After months of speculation during the winter break, Formula 1 teams finally had their first real opportunity to measure their pace in a competitive race weekend environment. Pre-season testing had suggested that Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team might start the year as the team to beat following strong outings in Bahrain and Barcelona. However, the opening practice session at Albert Park painted a slightly different picture, with Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull Racing showing strong early pace.
Leclerc topped the timing sheets with a stunning final lap, posting a best time of 1:20.267. His late push placed him comfortably ahead of the Mercedes drivers and gave Ferrari an early statement of intent. Hamilton, beginning a new chapter of his career with Ferrari, finished second just under half a second behind his teammate, suggesting the Italian team could be a serious contender at the season opener.
Verstappen completed the top three for Red Bull, only slightly behind Hamilton. The Dutch driver appeared competitive throughout the session and is expected to challenge strongly as the weekend progresses.
Red Bull youngster Isack Hadjar also impressed by securing fourth place, continuing to build momentum in his early Formula 1 career. Meanwhile, Arvid Lindblad placed fifth for Racing Bulls despite experiencing technical problems earlier in the session.
The session was not without drama, as several teams struggled with reliability issues while running their cars in race conditions for the first time in 2026. Aston Martin F1 Team endured a frustrating start to the weekend when two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was unable to record a lap time. A power unit problem forced the Spaniard to remain in the garage for the entire session.
Lindblad’s session was also disrupted when his Racing Bulls car stopped shortly after reaching the pit exit. Marshals had to push the car back to the pit lane, briefly triggering a virtual safety car situation.
McLaren F1 Team also faced difficulties with both of its drivers encountering mechanical problems. Home favorite Oscar Piastri experienced an engine cut-out while on track before the system restarted, allowing him to continue. Teammate Lando Norris complained over team radio about “shocking” gear shifts before the team eventually parked his car due to a suspected gearbox issue.
Further down the order, George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli finished seventh and eighth respectively for Mercedes, a result that may come as a surprise after the team’s promising pre-season testing form.
Audi F1 Team also made a solid start to the weekend, with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing ninth ahead of teammate Nico Hulkenberg in tenth.
Elsewhere, Esteban Ocon placed 11th for Haas F1 Team, while Carlos Sainz took 12th for Williams Racing. The rest of the field included drivers such as Oliver Bearman, Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto, and Valtteri Bottas as teams focused primarily on gathering early data.
At the back of the grid, Sergio Perez finished last among the drivers who set times for Cadillac F1 Team, while Lance Stroll recorded the slowest lap among active runners for Aston Martin, more than 30 seconds off the pace.
Despite the mixed reliability across the grid, Ferrari’s strong start will undoubtedly attract attention as the paddock prepares for the second practice session later in the day.
Track action in Melbourne continues with Free Practice 2 scheduled for Friday afternoon local time, where teams will look to refine their setups and gather more performance data ahead of qualifying and the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
