2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Final Practice Results

George Russell topped final practice for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, in a delayed and disrupted session.

Due to a crash in the earlier F3 race, final practice was delayed by 20 minutes, and significant time was lost in the session through a pair of red flags. 

The first of these came as Carlos Sainz stopped in pit entry in the early stages, with the latter caused as Antonelli began a qualifying simulation with 10 minutes remaining. Catching the Turn 2 kerb, the Italian lost the rear of his Mercedes and struck barriers on both sides of the track, causing significant damage to all four corners of the car.

On the timesheets, it was Russell who led the way, with a late effort putting him 0.616s clear of second-placed Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari. Charles Leclerc had been the benchmark for much of the session, but ended the hour in third. 

Oscar Piastri was fourth from Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen's Red Bulls. 

Lance Stroll took no part in the session as Aston Martin's reliability woes continued, although an effort from Fernando Alonso at least placed the team ahead of both Cadillac drivers.