Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Australian F1 GP

Event: Australian Grand Prix
Track: Albert Park Circuit
Weather: Dry and sunny
Fastest Lap: Oscar Piastri - 1:19.729
Notable incidents: Verstappen off-track excursion and floor damage

2026 Australian GP FP2: Piastri Thrills Melbourne Crowd

Piastri delights home fans under the Albert Park lights

Oscar Piastri sent the Melbourne crowd into raptures by finishing fastest in FP2 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2026 F1 season at Albert Park. The McLaren driver produced a superb late lap to top the timesheets ahead of Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, as a lively and occasionally chaotic second practice session delivered plenty of clues, and a few headaches, for the teams.

Ferrari had set the pace earlier in FP1 with Charles Leclerc leading Lewis Hamilton, but by the end of Friday afternoon it was McLaren celebrating. Piastri’s benchmark lap of 1:19.729 was enough to edge Antonelli by just over two tenths, with Russell completing a strong showing for Mercedes in third.

Behind them, Hamilton and Leclerc ensured Ferrari remained firmly in the mix, while Max Verstappen endured a messy session to finish sixth after multiple issues.

If Friday’s action is any indication, the pecking order for qualifying and Sunday’s race is far from settled.

Early action and immediate drama

As the green light signalled the start of FP2, several drivers wasted no time heading out onto the Albert Park circuit. Nico Hülkenberg was among the first to appear for Audi, while Lando Norris quickly returned to action after missing much of FP1 due to a precautionary gearbox change.

The calm start did not last long.

Within minutes, the session produced its first flashpoint in the pit lane. George Russell attempted to merge into the fast lane just as Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad arrived from behind. Both drivers believed they had priority, and the result was inevitable, Lindblad clipped Russell’s front wing.

The Mercedes driver immediately reported the contact over team radio, and the stewards confirmed the incident would be investigated after the session.

It was an early reminder that Albert Park, with its tight pit lane and high traffic during practice, can be just as chaotic off the racing line as on it.

Mercedes show their hand

Much of the early attention centred on Mercedes. After appearing to keep their true pace hidden in FP1, the Silver Arrows looked more serious in the opening phase of the second session.

Russell briefly topped the timesheets with a 1:20.049 on soft tyres, while Antonelli quickly closed the gap to just a tenth. For a time, the Mercedes pair appeared firmly in control, with Hamilton and Piastri a little further back.

Antonelli then raised eyebrows by briefly moving to the top of the leaderboard, reinforcing the sense that the Italian, entering his second season, could be a genuine contender this year.

Yet the competitive picture remained fluid. As more drivers switched to soft tyres, the gaps shrank rapidly and the order shuffled almost every few minutes.

Lock-ups and low-downforce struggles

Drivers repeatedly battled lock-ups into the heavier braking zones, particularly into Turn 3 and the final chicane. Both Hamilton and Leclerc ran wide during separate moments, bouncing through gravel traps before rejoining.

Russell also had his own scare, locking up heavily and sliding across the grass before managing to keep the Mercedes pointing in the right direction.

The culprit appears to be the characteristics of the new 2026 cars. With reduced downforce compared to recent seasons, drivers are finding the machines more nervous under braking and through slow corners.

That unpredictability is already making Albert Park a demanding venue.

Even experienced drivers are being caught out, and that could make Sunday’s race particularly lively.

Verstappen’s difficult afternoon

While the frontrunners traded quick laps, Max Verstappen endured a more frustrating session.

The Red Bull driver’s run began awkwardly when he stopped at the end of the pit lane with a suspected power unit issue, forcing mechanics to push the car back to the garage.

When Verstappen eventually returned to the track, things did not improve.

On a later push lap he suffered a sudden snap of oversteer and slid straight through the gravel at high speed, kicking up dust and debris. The excursion appeared to damage part of the floor, sending the car back to the garage once again for checks.

Verstappen ultimately finished sixth, but the Dutchman completed far fewer clean laps than many of his rivals, not ideal preparation ahead of qualifying.

Reliability gremlins strike again

Several other teams also encountered technical problems during the session.

Carlos Sainz’s Williams suffered a mechanical issue that ended his running early, with the team confirming he would not return to the track after completing just ten laps.

Cadillac had a troubled session as well. Sergio Perez, returning to Formula 1 after a year away, was initially delayed by a sensor issue that kept him in the garage for much of the hour.

When the Mexican finally joined the action on soft tyres, his outing was short-lived.

With just minutes remaining, Perez stopped on track with a suspected hydraulics problem, triggering a Virtual Safety Car while marshals cleared the stranded Cadillac.

It was not the only reliability concern of the day, something that may become a recurring theme early in this new regulation era.

Piastri delivers the headline moment

While rivals struggled, Oscar Piastri quietly put together the lap that mattered.

The Melbourne-born driver, racing on home soil, nailed a clean run on soft tyres late in the session to jump to the top of the leaderboard. His 1:19.729 proved untouchable in the closing minutes.

Antonelli came closest but remained just over two tenths behind, with Russell securing third.

Hamilton and Leclerc followed for Ferrari, ahead of Verstappen, Norris and an impressive Lindblad, who continued to catch attention by placing eighth for Racing Bulls.

Isack Hadjar and Esteban Ocon completed the top ten.

A wide-open weekend ahead

Friday’s practice sessions suggest the fight at the front could be one of the most unpredictable season openers in years.

Ferrari looked sharp in FP1. Mercedes showed impressive pace in FP2. McLaren delivered the fastest lap of the day. And Red Bull still appears capable of challenging despite Verstappen’s difficult afternoon.

Behind them, the midfield battle between Alpine, Haas, Audi and Racing Bulls also looks extremely tight.

With reduced downforce making the cars trickier to handle and Albert Park’s unforgiving gravel waiting for any mistake, qualifying could easily throw up surprises.

For now, though, the loudest cheers in Melbourne belong to Oscar Piastri, the hometown hero who ended Friday on top.

FP2 Times Table 2026 Australian GP

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About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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