Oscar Piastri ended Friday at the top of the timesheets during the second practice session of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.
The McLaren driver set a fastest lap of 1:19.729 in FP2, beating Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and teammate George Russell in an eventful session that reshuffled the order after Ferrari dominated the morning run. The afternoon hour also brought several incidents, mechanical problems and steward investigations as teams continued to learn the new 2026 Formula 1 cars.
Piastri’s late lap moved him back to first place after Russell briefly led the session. The improved track grip and warmer conditions helped drivers go more than half a second faster than Charles Leclerc’s FP1 benchmark earlier in the day.
For the home crowd in Melbourne, the result also marked a strong recovery. Piastri lost time in the first session due to a power issue, but he returned in the afternoon with a competitive pace.
As it happened in the Australian GP FP2
Piastri’s best lap came late in the session as the track improved. His time placed McLaren ahead of the two Mercedes cars, with Antonelli second at +0.214s and Russell third at +0.320s.
Mercedes looked strong throughout the hour. Antonelli became the first driver to break into the 1:19 range midway through the session, which showed the team’s pace once the track rubbered in.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari, just 0.001s behind Russell. Hamilton came under investigation after the session for a possible practice start violation, though the incident did not affect his final time.
Charles Leclerc placed fifth, while Max Verstappen finished sixth. Verstappen faced a difficult session. He first stalled his Red Bull in the pit lane and had to return to the garage before setting a lap.
Later in the session, Verstappen lost the rear of the car at high speed through Turn 10. He ran through the gravel and damaged the floor, ending his push laps early.
The opening minutes also brought two incidents that caught the attention of stewards. Russell clipped rookie Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls car in the pit lane. Soon after, Franco Colapinto slowed on track and forced Hamilton to take quick action to avoid contact.
Neither clash caused major damage, but both were noted for investigation after the session.
Norris rebounds, rookies impress as teams gather data
Reigning world champion Lando Norris returned to action after a short FP1 appearance caused by gearbox checks. He completed a full run in the afternoon and finished seventh, just over one second behind Piastri.
Rookie Arvid Lindblad continued to impress on his Formula 1 debut weekend. After finishing fifth in FP1, he secured eighth place in the second session. His result placed him ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in ninth.
Problems continued for several teams lower in the order. Aston Martin struggled again with reliability issues. Fernando Alonso only completed a slow out lap before returning to the garage without a timed lap.
Lance Stroll managed a single lap but remained near the bottom of the standings. The team ended the session in 20th and 21st place, losing valuable setup time.
Cadillac also faced problems. Sergio Perez stopped on track with a suspected hydraulic issue, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car. The team had already lost most of the session due to a sensor fault, leaving Perez without a representative lap time.
The bigger picture
The first two sessions of the Australian Grand Prix weekend have produced mixed signals about the competitive order. Ferrari appeared fastest in the morning, while McLaren and Mercedes moved ahead during the afternoon run.
Red Bull showed flashes of speed but did not look fully comfortable. Aston Martin’s reliability issues also raised concerns for the rebuilt team.
Teams now have one final chance to gather data in FP3 on Saturday morning. That session begins at 12:30 local time in Melbourne, before qualifying at 16:00 decides the starting grid.
Full FP2 results: 2026 Australian Grand Prix
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:19.729 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.214s |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.320s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.321s |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.562s |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.637s |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.065s |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.193s |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +1.212s |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.450s |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.597s |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.622s |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.629s |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.939s |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams | +2.118s |
| 16 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +2.438s |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2.524s |
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2.890s |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +3.931s |
| 20 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +4.933s |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +6.087s |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | No Time |
2026 Australian Grand Prix weekend schedule (AEDT, Melbourne local time)
| Session | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Friday, March 6 | 12:30 ✓ |
| Free Practice 2 | Friday, March 6 | 16:00 ✓ |
| Free Practice 3 | Saturday, March 7 | 12:30 |
| Qualifying | Saturday, March 7 | 16:00 |
| Race | Sunday, March 8 | 15:00 |
Friday’s running at Albert Park ended with a local driver on top and several teams still searching for answers. The final practice session will offer one last chance to find them before the first qualifying battle of the 2026 season.
