Russell Tops Tight FP3 in Melbourne as 2026 Season Begins

George Russell set the fastest time in the final practice session for the Australian Grand Prix, kicking off the 2026 Formula 1 season with Mercedes at the top. The session revealed a potentially tight midfield and mixed fortunes for new driver pairings, with Lewis Hamilton finishing a strong second in his first competitive outing for Ferrari. Notably, several teams, including Williams and Aston Martin, faced limited running due to apparent technical issues.

Why it matters:

As the last practice session before qualifying, FP3 offers the clearest indication of each team's single-lap performance ahead of the first grid-setting session of the new era. The results hint at a reshuffled competitive order under the 2026 regulations, with Mercedes showing early pace and Ferrari's high-profile new signing, Hamilton, immediately on the pace. The session also provided the first real glimpse of how rookie drivers like Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar are adapting.

The details:

• Mercedes Leads the Way: George Russell's benchmark time of 1:19.053s put Mercedes at the top of the timesheets, with rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli a respectable seventh, just over a second back.
• Hamilton's Strong Ferrari Start: Lewis Hamilton, in his first Grand Prix weekend with Scuderia Ferrari, slotted into second place, 0.616s behind Russell. Teammate Charles Leclerc was close behind in third, suggesting Ferrari has brought a competitive package to Melbourne.
• Mixed Fortunes for Red Bull: The Red Bull duo of Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen finished fifth and sixth, separated by just six-hundredths of a second, but were over a second off the ultimate pace.
• Limited Running for Some: Both Williams and Aston Martin encountered problems. Carlos Sainz completed only one installation lap for Williams, while Lance Stroll failed to set a time for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso, in the other Aston, was 18th and over 3.6 seconds off the pace.
• Cadillac Struggles: The new Cadillac team, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, propped up the timesheets of the runners, suggesting they have significant work to do on their debut weekend.

What's next:

All eyes now turn to qualifying, where the true competitive hierarchy for the 2026 season's opening race will be established. The close gaps between Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren suggest a fierce battle for pole position is in store. The key questions are whether Mercedes can convert its practice pace, if Hamilton can challenge for a dream debut pole with Ferrari, and how the teams with limited running will recover for the critical qualifying hour.