Mercedes Fight Back in Australian GP Practice as Lewis Hamilton Shines fo

Mercedes Fight Back in Australian GP Practice as Lewis Hamilton Shines for Ferrari

The opening day of track action at the Australian Grand Prix delivered an early glimpse into the competitive order for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with several teams showing strong pace across Friday’s two practice sessions at the Albert Park Circuit.

While the first practice session suggested that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing could hold the upper hand, the picture shifted dramatically in FP2 as Mercedes and McLaren responded strongly to reassert themselves as major contenders.

McLaren Leads as Mercedes Shows Strength

During the second practice session, Australian driver Oscar Piastri delighted home fans by setting the fastest lap of the day with a time of 1:19.729 for McLaren. His performance placed him at the top of the timing sheets, demonstrating the team’s impressive speed around the fast and flowing street circuit in Melbourne.

Mercedes also looked competitive in the session. Young talent Kimi Antonelli finished second, just over two-tenths of a second behind Piastri. His teammate George Russell secured third place, making it a strong showing for the Mercedes-powered cars and confirming that the Silver Arrows remain firmly in the fight at the start of the season.

Hamilton Impresses for Ferrari

One of the standout performers of the day was seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who continued to adapt quickly to life at Ferrari. Hamilton finished fourth in FP2, only 0.321 seconds off the fastest time, suggesting that Ferrari could be a serious threat throughout the weekend.

His teammate Charles Leclerc placed fifth in the session. Earlier in FP1, Leclerc had actually topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:20.267, leading a Ferrari one-two with Hamilton in second place. That early dominance indicated the Scuderia’s potential before other teams revealed more of their pace later in the day.

Verstappen Limited by Technical Problems

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen endured a more challenging session in FP2. The Red Bull driver could only manage sixth place after losing significant track time due to technical problems with his car. The issue forced him to spend nearly half the session in the garage, preventing him from completing a full program.

Despite the setback, Verstappen remained within striking distance of the leaders, indicating that Red Bull could still be competitive once the issues are resolved.

Mixed Fortunes for the Rest of the Grid

Further down the order, Lando Norris placed seventh for McLaren, while rookies Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar impressed with top-ten finishes for Red Bull’s sister teams.

The session proved more difficult for Aston Martin. Veteran driver Fernando Alonso was only able to take part in FP2 after missing the first session due to a power unit issue. His teammate Lance Stroll also struggled, with his run ending early after another technical problem.

Elsewhere, teams like Haas, Williams, Alpine, and Audi continued gathering data as they worked through their early-season programs.

Competitive Weekend Ahead

With teams running different fuel loads and engine settings during practice, Friday’s results do not always reflect the true competitive order. However, the performances across FP1 and FP2 suggest that the battle at the front could be extremely tight between Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull.

As the weekend progresses toward qualifying and the race, the stage is set for an exciting start to the 2026 Formula 1 season in Melbourne. 🏎️🔥