Melbourne Comes Alive as Free Practice 1 Launches the 2026 F1 Season

This article will be about everything that has happened in the first Free Practice session of the new 2026 F1 season. 

(Image credits to F1fansite.com)

Ferrari set the early benchmark in Melbourne.

The opening practice session delivered a lively hour at Albert Park. Where Ferrarii had seen Charles Leclerc top the timesheet with a time of 1:20:276. With Lewis slotting into 2nd place and with Max slotting into 3rd place. Charles' late-session push secured him a P1, as he was just half a second ahead of his Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton also looked comfortable and competitive while he was in Ferrari's colours while being out on the track. Ferrari's early form suggests that they have adapted early to this year's new tactical reset, with both Lewis and Charles driving immediately on the pace. 

Red Bull and Racing Bull are strong but are not trouble-free

Max had briefly topped the practice session before he was then taken over by both of the Ferrari drivers, Lewis and Charles, meaning that he had finished the session in P3.

But Max's teammate, Isack Hadjar, who was a driver at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls last season has impressed his team as he achieved P4 in his first session as a Red Bull driver. 

But also, Avrid Lindblad had gained a P5 position in the first free practice session after he had a stoppage early on in the session. 

Mclarens Mixed Morning

Australian hero Oscar Piastri started the session with an early scare, reporting to his team that he had no power during his out lap. But despite this, he had managed to finish in P5.

But Oscar's teammate and 2025 World Driver’s Champion, Lando Norris, had finished the session in P19  due to a gearbox change, meaning that he had only completed 7 laps of the session. 

Reliability woes for both Aston Martin and Williams

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso did not complete a single lap of Melbourne Park in the practice session due to a suspected power unit issue that he had picked up. Lance Stroll didn't complete any laps either due to limited running that had ended over 30 seconds of his car's pace. 

But Williams also had issues when Alex Albon stopped on the track due to a suspected hydraulic issue, which had triggered a safety car to be used.

Article written by Elsie Nash © Elsie Nash 2026