F1 Australian GP: Charles Leclerc leads first 2026 follow as McLaren and Aston Martin hit bother

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc headed team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen to steer the primary follow session of Method 1’s new period that begins on the Australian Grand Prix.

Leclerc’s last-minute effort of 1m20.267s demoted team-mate Hamilton after a comparatively uneventful first follow session of F1’s new rules period.

Most groups wasted little time getting in control in Melbourne as they had been eager to maximise what little observe time they should optimise 2026’s difficult equipment for Albert Park’s extreme vitality calls for.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was the primary man out, although it was four-time world champion Verstappen who set a primary lap time with some semblance of urgency – with laps initially round 5 seconds slower than final yr.

Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar quickly cycled by means of to the lead, as did Ferrari’s Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

There had been an early digital security automotive for Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, who appeared to stall at pit exit, however there was extra vital bother for McLaren. Oscar Piastri reported “one thing was not proper” was McLaren’s energy supply, reporting he was, saying he was “idling, however I’ve bought no throttle.”

Piastri’s team-mate Lando Norris additionally hit teething points with dodgy gearshifts, with the group ultimately curbing his session after simply seven laps to look into the gearbox. It will depart the reigning world champion down in nineteenth.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photograph by: Joe Portlock / Getty Photographs

That was nothing in comparison with Aston Martin’s woes, as Fernando Alonso didn’t make it out on observe after Honda encountered engine bother. “We discovered a suspected energy unit-related problem which can stop automotive #14 from taking part in FP1,” Honda stated.

Crew-mate Lance Stroll accomplished solely three sluggish set up laps to kick off what is ready to be a brutal first weekend for the Aston Martin-Honda collaboration.

On the different finish of the timetable Leclerc took over command with a 1m20.829s on softs, earlier than being demoted by Verstappen’s 1.20.789s after which Hamilton. However proper on the finish of the session, Leclerc set a 1m20.267s to take over command after what was an encouraging begin for Ferrari.

Hadjar was fourth behind Hamilton and Verstappen, forward of a stunning Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad and Piastri.

Mercedes duo George Russell and Antonelli took seventh and eighth respectively, with Audi drivers Bortoleto and Hulkenberg rounding out the highest 10.

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Williams’s team-mate Alex Albon triggered a late digital security automotive after grounding to a halt by means of Lakeside Drive with a suspected hydraulic leak. There have been in any other case no main incidents, though Cadillac’s Sergio Perez suffered a scare when extreme engine braking despatched him right into a tailspin in Flip 4.

Perez and team-mate Valtteri Bottas made a good grand prix weekend debut for Cadillac, with F1’s eleventh outfit just below 4 seconds off the frontrunners.

F1 Australian GP – FP1 outcomes

Submit
Driver
Automotive / Engine
Lap Time
Hole
Laps

1
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1m20.267s

33

2
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1m20.736s
0.469s
30

3
Max Verstappen
Purple Bull/Purple Bull Ford
1m20.789s
0.522s
27

4
Isack Hadjar
Purple Bull/Purple Bull Ford
1m21.087s
0.820s
24

5
Arvid Lindblad
Racing Bulls/Purple Bull Ford
1m21.313s
1.046s
22

6
Oscar Piastri
McLaren/Mercedes
1m21.342s
1.075s
21

7
George Russell
Mercedes
1m21.371s
1.104s
26

8
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1m21.376s
1.109s
24

9
Gabriel Bortoleto
Audi
1m21.696s
1.429s
23

10
Nico Hülkenberg
Audi
1m21.969s
1.702s
21

11
Esteban Ocon
Haas/Ferrari
1m22.161s
1.894s
28

12
Carlos Sainz
Williams/Mercedes
1m22.323s
2.056s
30

13
Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls/Purple Bull Ford
1m22.613s
2.346s
28

14
Oliver Bearman
Haas/Ferrari
1m22.682s
2.415s
25

15
Alexander Albon
Williams/Mercedes
1m23.130s
2.863s
24

16
Franco Colapinto
Alpine/Mercedes
1m23.325s
3.058s
26

17
Valtteri Bottas
Cadillac/Ferrari
1m24.022s
3.755s
24

18
Pierre Gasly
Alpine/Mercedes
1m24.035s
3.768s
27

19
Lando Norris
McLaren/Mercedes
1m24.391s
4.124s
7

20
Sergio Perez
Cadillac/Ferrari
1m24.620s
4.353s
14

21
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin/Honda
1m50.334s
30.067s
3

22
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin/Honda
No time
–
0

Images from Australian GP – Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari