Ferrari's Leclerc Tops Disrupted First Practice in Australia

Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two in a heavily disrupted first practice session for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. The session was marred by multiple red flags and limited running for several teams, including Aston Martin, which saw Fernando Alonso fail to set a time and Lance Stroll complete only three laps.

Why it matters:

The opening practice session of a race weekend sets the initial competitive tone and provides crucial data for car setup. Significant disruptions, like those seen in Melbourne, can leave teams scrambling with incomplete information, potentially impacting their performance for the rest of the weekend and skewing the early pecking order.

The details:

• Ferrari's Strong Start: Leclerc's benchmark time was four-tenths of a second faster than Hamilton's, suggesting the Scuderia has begun the weekend with a strong baseline setup.
• Red Bull Close Behind: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finished third and fourth for Red Bull, keeping the reigning champions within striking distance of the Ferraris.
• Aston Martin's Woes: The team had a session to forget. Fernando Alonso did not record a timed lap, while Lance Stroll managed only three installation laps, leaving them with a severe lack of data.
• Multiple Red Flags: The session was interrupted several times. Reigning world champion Lando Norris retired with a gearbox issue, while Arvid Lindblad and Alex Albon both brought out red flags by stopping on track.

What's next:

Teams will analyze the limited data from FP1 to make adjustments for the second practice session. The focus for affected squads like Aston Martin and McLaren will be on resolving their issues to maximize track time. With the disrupted running, FP2 becomes even more critical for establishing a true performance picture before qualifying.