Charles Leclerc leads first 2026 apply as McLaren and Aston Martin hit hassle

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc headed team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen to guide the primary apply session of System 1’s new period that begins on the Australian Grand Prix.

Leclerc’s last-minute effort of 1m20.267s demoted team-mate Hamilton after a comparatively uneventful first apply session of F1’s new rules period.

Most groups wasted little time getting in control in Melbourne as they had been eager to maximise what little observe time they need to optimise 2026’s sophisticated equipment for Albert Park’s extreme vitality calls for.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was the primary man out, although it was four-time world champion Verstappen who set a primary lap time with some semblance of urgency – with laps initially round 5 seconds slower than final yr.

Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar quickly cycled via to the lead, as did Ferrari’s Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

There had been an early digital security automobile for Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, who appeared to stall at pit exit, however there was extra vital hassle for McLaren. Oscar Piastri reported “one thing was not proper” was McLaren’s energy supply, reporting he was, saying he was “idling, however I’ve obtained no throttle.”

Piastri’s team-mate Lando Norris additionally hit teething points with dodgy gearshifts, with the crew ultimately curbing his session after simply seven laps to look into the gearbox. It will go away the reigning world champion down in nineteenth.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photograph by: Joe Portlock / Getty Photographs

That was nothing in comparison with Aston Martin’s woes, as Fernando Alonso didn’t make it out on observe after Honda encountered engine hassle. “We discovered a suspected energy unit-related concern which can stop automobile #14 from taking part in FP1,” Honda mentioned.

Workforce-mate Lance Stroll accomplished solely three gradual set up laps to kick off what is about to be a brutal first weekend for the Aston Martin-Honda collaboration.

On the different finish of the timetable Leclerc took over command with a 1m20.829s on softs, earlier than being demoted by Verstappen’s 1.20.789s after which Hamilton. However proper on the finish of the session, Leclerc set a 1m20.267s to take over command after what was an encouraging begin for Ferrari.

Hadjar was fourth behind Hamilton and Verstappen, forward of a shocking Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad and Piastri.

Mercedes duo George Russell and Antonelli took seventh and eighth respectively, with Audi drivers Bortoleto and Hulkenberg rounding out the highest 10.

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Williams’s team-mate Alex Albon prompted a late digital security automobile after grounding to a halt via Lakeside Drive with a suspected hydraulic leak. There have been in any other case no main incidents, though Cadillac’s Sergio Perez suffered a scare when extreme engine braking despatched him right into a tailspin in Flip 4.

Perez and team-mate Valtteri Bottas made a decent grand prix weekend debut for Cadillac, with F1’s eleventh outfit just below 4 seconds off the frontrunners.