Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap time for McLaren during Australian GP practice.
The practice session was highly competitive with small margins separating drivers.
McLaren showed strong performance potential ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
The results indicate a tight field for the upcoming qualifying and race.
📖 Full Retelling
McLaren's Oscar Piastri set the fastest time of Friday's two practice sessions at Formula 1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes and Ferrari also exhibited strong pace in Melbourne.
Oscar Jack Piastri ( pee-AST-ree; born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Piastri has won nine Formula One Grands Prix across three seasons.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Piastri began his career in radio-controlled racing before moving into karting...
The Australian Grand Prix is an annual Formula One motor racing event, taking place in Melbourne, Victoria. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Grand Prix has moved frequently with 23 different venues havi...
McLaren Racing Limited ( mə-KLARR-ən), competing as McLaren Mastercard F1 Team, is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known as a Formula One c...
Breaking Australian GP: Oscar Piastri tops Practice One for McLaren as Mercedes and Ferrari also show strong pace in Melbourne McLaren's Oscar Piastri tops second practice from Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell; Lewis Hamilton fourth as Ferrari show potential; watch Australian Grand Prix qualifying at 5am on Saturday and the first race of the season at 4am on Sunday live on Sky Sports F1 Friday 6 March 2026 06:27, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Highlights from Friday's practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix. McLaren's Oscar Piastri set the fastest time of Friday's two practice sessions at Formula 1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes and Ferrari also exhibited strong pace in Melbourne. Piastri, driving at his hometown circuit, finished second practice two tenths clear of Kimi Antonelli, with the Italian's Mercedes team-mate George Russell a tenth further back in third. The timesheet represented a turnaround from the opening session, in which Ferrari had looked hugely impressive when Charles Leclerc led a one-two from team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar having finished behind them. Martin Brundle's 2026 season preview | New F1 rules and racing terms explained When to watch the Australian GP live on Sky Sports F1 2026: Calendar, line-ups, new regulations, how to watch on Sky Sports Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 Leclerc, who was almost half a second clear of the field in first practice, actually failed to improve his time as he finished fifth in the second session, which suggested Ferrari were unable to maximise their potential in the late afternoon conditions. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Arvid Lindblad runs overs George Russell's front wing in pit lane during P2 at the Australian GP. Hamilton's fourth place, three tenths back from Piastri, meant he was the only driver to finish both of Friday'...
