Event

Australian Grand Prix Practice 3


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Date
Sat 7th March 2026 (UTC)
Sat 7th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-07T01:30:00

Time
timezone flag 01:30:00 UTC (12:30:00 Local)

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League
Formula 1

Season
2026

Round
1

Status
Match Finished

Location




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Description search icon English Flag
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 List
Transparent Spacer01 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon George Russell1:19.053
Transparent Spacer02 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Lewis Hamilton+0.616s
Transparent Spacer03 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Charles Leclerc+0.774s
Transparent Spacer04 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Oscar Piastri+1.034s
Transparent Spacer05 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Isack Hadjar+1.084s
Transparent Spacer06 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Max Verstappen+1.144s
Transparent Spacer07 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Andrea Kimi Antonelli+1.271s
Transparent Spacer08 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Lando Norris+1.390s
Transparent Spacer09 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Gabriel Bortoleto+1.406s
Transparent Spacer10 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Oliver Bearman+1.725s
Transparent Spacer11 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Arvid Lindblad+1.785s
Transparent Spacer12 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Liam Lawson+1.837s
Transparent Spacer13 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Esteban Ocon+1.930s
Transparent Spacer14 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Nico Hulkenberg+2.014s
Transparent Spacer15 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Pierre Gasly+2.018s
Transparent Spacer16 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Franco Colapinto+2.360s
Transparent Spacer17 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Alexander Albon+2.611s
Transparent Spacer18 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Fernando Alonso+3.667s
Transparent Spacer19 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Valtteri Bottas+4.461s
Transparent Spacer20 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Sergio Perez+5.344s


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.

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plex icon Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.mkv
kodi icon Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.S2026E1.mkv
kodi icon (Scraper) Formula 1 2026-03-07 Australian Grand Prix Practice 3.mkv


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