Russell tops disrupted Australian GP FP3 as Mercedes shows pace

George Russell set the fastest time in a heavily disrupted final practice session for the Australian Grand Prix, delivering a late flyer that put Mercedes over six-tenths clear of the Ferraris. The session was marred by two red flags, including a heavy crash for Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and saw several teams struggle with reliability issues ahead of qualifying.

Why it matters:

After a subdued start to the 2026 season, Mercedes' sudden burst of pace in FP3 signals a potential step forward, though its true competitiveness will only be confirmed in qualifying. The chaotic session, with multiple stoppages and mechanical woes for other teams, has set the stage for an unpredictable and potentially pivotal qualifying hour at Albert Park.

The details:

• Russell's Late Surge: In the final four minutes of the green-flag running, George Russell posted a 1m19.053s lap on soft tires, beating Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari by 0.616 seconds and Charles Leclerc's earlier benchmark by 0.774s.
• A Session of Interruptions: FP3 started 20 minutes late due to barrier repairs from an F3 crash. It was then red-flagged twice: first when Carlos Sainz's Williams stopped at pit entry on its out-lap, and later for Antonelli's crash.
• Antonelli's Heavy Impact: Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli lost control at Turn 2, bottoming out and slamming into the outside wall. He was unhurt, but his team faces a race against time to repair the car for qualifying.
• Mixed Top Ten: The session results showed a spread of teams, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) fourth, Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) an impressive fifth, and Max Verstappen sixth. Antonelli was seventh-fastest before his crash.
• Team Troubles:
  • Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso completed 20 laps and set a time 3.6 seconds off the pace, a marginal but crucial improvement. Lance Stroll did not run due to an internal combustion engine issue.
  • Williams: Carlos Sainz failed to set a time after his early stoppage, compounding a difficult weekend for the team after Alex Albon's hydraulic issues on Friday.
  • Cadillac: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez propped up the timesheets in 19th and 20th, respectively.

What's next:

All eyes turn to qualifying at 4 PM local time in Melbourne. The key questions are whether Mercedes can convert its FP3 promise into a genuine front-row challenge and how teams like Aston Martin and Cadillac will recover from their troubled practice sessions. The repaired barriers and the condition of Antonelli's Mercedes will also be critical factors as the grid is set for the season's first race.