Oscar Piastri ended Friday on top as the Australian Grand Prix weekend kicked off the 2026 season, the McLaren driver topping the timesheets during Free Practice 2.
While Ferrari led the way in Friday’s opening practice hour, Piastri took over the P1 slot later in the day via his effort of 1m 19.729s, putting him 0.214s clear of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
The other Silver Arrows machine of George Russell placed third, followed by the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was sixth – the four-time World Champion starting his session later after stopping in the pit lane earlier on.
There were a few perilous moments during the session, with several drivers experiencing lock-ups and taking a trip across the gravel, while Russell and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad – who impressed again in P8 behind McLaren’s Lando Norris – had a small collision in the pit lane.
To catch up on the highlights from FP2, click go on the video player above.
