Charles Leclerc led the opening practice session of the 2026 season in Australia, posting a lap of 1:20.267, with teammate Lewis Hamilton trailing by 0.469s and Max Verstappen completing the morning podium at 0.522s. The session marked the debut of reset technical regulations, with teams taking their new cars for a first run at Albert Park.

The start was not without incidents: Oscar Piastri reported “no power” in his McLaren, and Arvid Lindblad stopped his Racing Bulls at the pit exit, prompting a Virtual Safety Car. Fernando Alonso also did not participate due to a suspected power unit issue in his Aston Martin AMR26.

Early on, Verstappen led the timesheets before Leclerc posted the fastest lap, with Isack Hadjar standing out in his first full practice as a Red Bull race driver. As the session progressed, lap times dropped significantly on soft tyres (the fastest, least durable compound), with drivers like George Russell and Valtteri Bottas completing their installation laps.

The session also saw tense moments: Hadjar experienced a big lock-up (wheel skid under braking) and Verstappen faced a similar incident, while Hamilton kept a steady pace on a circuit where he holds eight poles. Toward the end, Sergio Pérez went off track due to engine braking issues, and Lando Norris finished early following precautionary gearbox checks.

FP1 ended with Leclerc on top, Hamilton second, and Verstappen third. Teams gained critical insights on engine performance, aerodynamic behavior, and tyre management, preparing for the second practice session at 4:00 PM local time (AEST – Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10).
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