By Lizzie Price
Formula One is back and gearing up for action down under at Albert Park. On a sunny Friday in Melbourne the teams hit the race-track for the first Free Practice Session of the season, with all eyes watching for any insight into how the 2026 season will pan out.
Ferarri’s Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap of the session at a 1:20.267, followed closely by team-mate Lewis Hamilton (+ 0.469.)
The pair of Ferrari’s were followed up by the two Redbull’s with Max Verstappen clocking in at 1:20.789 and team-mate Isaac Hadjar – a promising start for the Frenchman’s team debut.
In a pre-season marked by hype around Mercedes the team largely failed to show any promise in the first practice session with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finishing P7 and P8 respectively. Wether or not this is the result of sandbagging or a the Brackley-based team are just slower than initial results, only time will tell but there did seem to be an array of problems for the Mercedes-based engine teams.
Home favourite Oscar Piastri clinched a P6 after an early power cut, and it was problems all around for McLaren, the defending constructors champions, as Lando Norris retired early due to a gearbox issue, therefore finishing P19. The Williams of Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon finished P12 and P15 with Albon loosing power steering due to hydraulic pressure
F1’s only 2026 Rookie Arvid Lindblad managed an impressive P5 for his first Free Practice session after coming to a halt in the pit-lane and having to be hauled back. Equally, new (ish) team Audi look increasingly fast with their two drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, rounding out the top ten. However, the other new team Cadillac had an average start for a new team finishing P17 and P20 for the two F1 veterans of Valterri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
No team, however preformed worst then Aston Martin, their trajectory of an embarrassingly awful pre-season has materialised into an embarrassingly awful start to the season. Admist fears the cars won’t complete the whole of the race – Lance Stroll only managed three laps clocking in a 1:50.334 whilst Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 didn’t even hit the tracks.
If this free practice session is anything to go by this season is shaping up to be an unpredictable and volatile season – you don’t want to miss it!”
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 