Event
Date & Time
Sat 7th March 2026 12:30pm Local
Sat 7th March 2026 1:30am UTC
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League
Formula 1
Season
2026
Round
Round 1
Status
FT
Location
Australian Grand Prix Practice 3
Started 131 days, 3 hours, 1 minute ago Date & Time
Sat 7th March 2026 12:30pm Local
Sat 7th March 2026 1:30am UTC
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League
Formula 1
Season
2026
Round
Round 1
Status
FT
Location
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Description
As the sun climbs over the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, teams enter Free Practice 3 with more questions than answers. Friday’s running showcased a fascinating split in the new 2026 hierarchy: Ferrari looked supreme in high-speed stability, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stole the show under the setting sun. For the first time in years, the "Big Three" of Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes appear genuinely threatened by a midfield that has been compressed by the new aero regulations.
The final 60 minutes of practice will be a frantic scramble to perfect qualifying setups. With the track now "rubbered in" and grip levels at their peak, drivers will be pushing the limits of the Turn 9-10 chicane, which has already claimed several front wings this weekend. Keep a close eye on Lando Norris, who needs a trouble-free session after gearbox gremlins sidelined him for much of Friday. For the rookies like Kimi Antonelli and Arvid Lindblad, this is the last chance to practice the high-stakes qualifying simulations before the first real knockout session of the new era.
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Result Description
George Russell sent a massive warning shot to the rest of the paddock by dominating the final practice session with a blistering 1:19.053. The Mercedes driver flexed the muscles of the new W17, finishing a staggering 0.616 seconds clear of his former teammate Lewis Hamilton, who took second for Ferrari. The session suggested that Mercedes has unlocked a significant advantage with the new 2026 power unit regulations, as they looked untouchable in the high-speed sections.
The hour was far from perfect for the Silver Arrows, however. In the closing minutes, rookie Kimi Antonelli suffered a heavy crash at Turn 2, losing the rear of his car on the exit kerb and hitting the barriers hard. The resulting red flag ended the session prematurely and left the Mercedes mechanics with a frantic two-hour rebuild before qualifying.
Reliability also plagued the bottom of the timesheets; Carlos Sainz stopped his Williams at the pit entry early on, triggering the session's first red flag, while Lance Stroll failed to set a time entirely due to a suspected internal combustion engine (ICE) issue on his Aston Martin. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top four, both over seven-tenths adrift of Russell’s benchmark.
The hour was far from perfect for the Silver Arrows, however. In the closing minutes, rookie Kimi Antonelli suffered a heavy crash at Turn 2, losing the rear of his car on the exit kerb and hitting the barriers hard. The resulting red flag ended the session prematurely and left the Mercedes mechanics with a frantic two-hour rebuild before qualifying.
Reliability also plagued the bottom of the timesheets; Carlos Sainz stopped his Williams at the pit entry early on, triggering the session's first red flag, while Lance Stroll failed to set a time entirely due to a suspected internal combustion engine (ICE) issue on his Aston Martin. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top four, both over seven-tenths adrift of Russell’s benchmark.
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 Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.mkv Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.S2026E1.mkv (Scraper) Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.mkv |