Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the opening practice session of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The session highlighted early troubles for McLaren and Aston Martin, while new teams Cadillac and Audi showed respectable debuts. Leclerc's final lap time of 1m20.267s set the pace in the new regulations era.
The first practice session (FP1) for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix took place at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on March 6, marking the start of Formula 1's new technical regulations era. Ferrari demonstrated strong early form, with Charles Leclerc posting the fastest time of 1m20.267s on soft tires in the closing minutes, demoting teammate Lewis Hamilton to second place, 0.469 seconds behind. Red Bull's Max Verstappen slotted into third at 0.522 seconds off the pace, followed by teammate Isack Hadjar in fourth.
The session began with Audi's Nico Hulkenberg leading the field out on track. Initial lap times were around five seconds slower than the previous year, reflecting adaptations to the 2026 machinery's energy demands. An early virtual safety car was deployed when Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad stalled at the pit exit. Lindblad recovered to finish fifth, an impressive showing for the newcomer.
Troubles emerged for McLaren, the defending constructors' champions. Oscar Piastri reported power delivery issues, stating, "something was not right" and "idling, but I've got no throttle." He managed sixth place after pit repairs. Teammate Lando Norris, the reigning drivers' champion, encountered gearbox problems, including "shocking" downshifts, limiting him to seven laps and 19th position as the team curtailed his run for checks.
Aston Martin faced significant setbacks in its new Honda partnership. Fernando Alonso did not participate due to a suspected power unit issue, with Honda confirming, "We found a suspected power unit-related issue which will prevent car #14 from participating in FP1." Lance Stroll completed only three installation laps before retiring with a similar problem, finishing 21st.
New entrant Cadillac made a solid debut with its Ferrari-powered MAC-26. Valtteri Bottas placed 17th, 3.755 seconds off the pace, while Sergio Perez was 20th after a spin in Turn 5 from excessive engine braking. The team aims for progress, as Bottas noted, "Progress is the number one thing." Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 in ninth and 10th.
A late virtual safety car followed Williams' Alex Albon stopping with a hydraulic leak. Overall, times were about three seconds slower than 2025's FP1 fastest lap of 1m17.252s by Norris. Teams now analyze data ahead of FP2.
