RUSSELL FASTEST IN PRACTICE 3 BEFORE FIRST QUALIFYING OF 2026
The final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix saw Russell go fastest before the first qualifying of the year.
Ferrari entered the session looking to recover after a difficult FP2, where the team struggled to find the right balance with the car. Mercedes, on the other hand, appeared very strong and was already considered the favorite heading into qualifying. McLaren also looked competitive and close to Mercedes, while Red Bull remained slightly harder to judge.
The session itself began 20 minutes late because the barriers needed repairs after an accident during the previous Formula 3 race.
Ferrari sent Lewis Hamilton out on track immediately, using a new set of soft tires. Soon after, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Kimi Antonelli also joined the session.
About ten minutes after the start, the Williams of Carlos Sainz suddenly lost power at the entrance of the pit lane. Race control first deployed a Virtual Safety Car, followed by a red flag so the car could be removed from the track.
Once the session restarted with around 40 minutes remaining, all the teams returned to the track to begin their planned programs.
During the first qualifying simulation runs, Ferrari moved to the top of the timesheets. Hamilton and Leclerc held first and second place with lap times separated by less than a tenth of a second. The Ferrari cars looked much more stable and balanced compared to FP2, suggesting that the overnight setup changes had worked.
Close behind the Ferraris were Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli, both only about a tenth and a half away from Hamilton’s fastest time. Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto in the Audi were a few tenths slower but still within reach of the leading group.
Meanwhile, George Russell followed a different program. Instead of pushing for a fast lap early in the session, the Mercedes driver focused on race pace simulations with lower fuel. Red Bull also appeared to follow a similar approach.
A few laps later, Piastri improved his time and briefly moved to the top of the leaderboard. Soon after, Leclerc responded with a strong lap under the 1:20 mark, the first time he had gone below that barrier during the weekend. The Monegasque driver opened a small gap of about three tenths over the rest of the field.
With about ten minutes remaining, the drivers returned to the track for their final attempts at fast laps before qualifying.
At that moment, Russell looked ready to set the fastest lap of the session, improving Leclerc’s time by almost half a second after the second sector. However, the session was suddenly interrupted by a heavy crash from Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian lost control of his Mercedes while exiting Turn 1 and hit the barriers hard.
The impact caused significant damage to the rear of the Mercedes, including the suspension on the right side. The Brackley team now faces a race against time to repair the car before qualifying.
After the track was cleared, the drivers returned to the circuit for one final attempt with only a few minutes left.
George Russell delivered a very impressive lap, setting a time in the low 1:19 range and finishing the session comfortably at the top of the timesheets. He was around six tenths faster than Hamilton in second place. Leclerc finished third, about seven tenths behind Russell, followed by Norris and the two Red Bulls.
Heading into qualifying, Mercedes appears to be the clear favorite, showing very strong pace throughout the session. Ferrari has improved compared to Friday and could realistically fight for a second-row start, although the battle with McLaren is expected to be very close.
Red Bull remains more difficult to evaluate, as the team has not shown a truly outstanding lap yet during the weekend.
In the midfield, Audi continues to impress, with Bortoleto showing competitive pace close to the top teams.
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