Testing concluded on Thursday at the Albert Park Circuit, leaving Formula 1 teams with a single day to refine their setups before the opening practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton, embarking on his first season with Ferrari, completed a full day of testing, as did Alonso, Albon, Lawson and Colapinto for their respective teams. Their teammates will grab over driving duties on Friday for a comprehensive program, according to reports from the track.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari set the pace in Friday practice, finishing ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris of McLaren. Hamilton finished fifth, 0.42 seconds behind Leclerc, and reported struggling with the car’s handling. “The balance wasn’t even completely out, no massive or major problems, but somehow the grip just wasn’t coming alive,” said Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull team was further down the order.
The Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to initiate on March 14th and conclude on March 16th, with the race itself starting at 04:00 GMT on Sunday, March 16th. The Albert Park Circuit, first hosting a Grand Prix in 1996, is 5.278km in length and requires 58 laps to complete the 306.124km race distance. The current fastest lap time was set by Charles Leclerc in 2024 at 1:19.813.
Grandstand tickets for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix reportedly sold out within minutes of going on sale in September 2025, indicating significant fan interest in the event.
Teams are expected to continue analyzing data and making adjustments overnight, but it remains to be seen whether any will attempt a qualifying simulation to gauge their performance relative to competitors before the official qualifying session on Saturday.
