George Russell, Mercedes, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 Results Today: George Russell a second down as Ferrari dominate at Australian GP

All the times from FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix

Chris Deeley

Friday 6 March 2026 03:50

Mercedes' status as pre-season favorites for the F1 championship took an early hit in FP1 in Melbourne.

The Silver Arrows had been projected as the team to beat after pre-season testing, but George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished the first hour of running a full second down on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, and more than half a second behind Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Aston Martin's miserable winter continued with a power unit issue keeping Fernando Alonso in the garage for the full hour, while Arvid Lindblad only made it to the pit exit before his Racing Bull conked out, triggering a virtual safety car as he was pushed back by the marshals.

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Both McLaren drivers also fought against their machinery, with Oscar Piastri's engine cutting out on track before firing back up, and Lando Norris complaining to his engineers about 'shocking' gear shifts before being parked for the session with gearbox issues.

Australian Grand Prix FP1 times

Australian Grand Prix FP1 results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.267
2	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.469s
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.522s
4	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+0.820s
5	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.046s
6	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.075s
7	George Russell	Mercedes	+1.104s
8	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.109s
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.429s
10	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.702s
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.894s
12	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.056s
13	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+2.346s
14	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+2.415s
15	Alex Albon	Williams	+2.863s
16	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+3.058s
17	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.755s
18	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+3.768s
19	Lando Norris	McLaren	+4.124s
20	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.353s
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+30.067s
22	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	NO TIME